A Content Analysis of Popular Preschool Math Apps
Authors: Powell Callaghan & S. Reich
This study assesses whether tablet-based educational math games (“apps”) for preschool aged children (3-5 years) are designed to support children’s learning. Past research suggests that most games use feedback that is not sufficiently structured to teach children. This study extends such work by not only recording games’ quality of feedback, but also by analyzing game features, such as reward systems, scaffolded challenge, math tasks, story plots, and personalization opportunities. This content analysis will allow us to deconstruct how popular preschool math apps are structured and how they are, or are not, designed to effectively support preschool learning.